Action promised on farm bill

Saturday

Jul 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM

GARDINER — Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Rep. Chris Gibson on Friday promised Hudson Valley farmers a new farm bill that would take their special circumstances into consideration, and not just cater to sprawling commercial operations in the Midwest and West.

James Walsh

GARDINER — Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Rep. Chris Gibson on Friday promised Hudson Valley farmers a new farm bill that would take their special circumstances into consideration, and not just cater to sprawling commercial operations in the Midwest and West.

Among the measures discussed were improved crop insurance for fruit and vegetable growers, reduced export fees for apple producers and access for new farmers to capital and training programs.

Their stop at the Wright's Farm came a day after Gibson and 215 fellow Republicans in the House voted to remove the food stamp program from their version of the farm bill for the first time in 40 years.

On Thursday, Gillibrand slammed Republicans for putting "critical food assistance for our children, seniors and military families at risk."

Yet on Friday, she called Gibson "a great ally in the House" when it came to agriculture. The two serve on their houses' agriculture committees.

After addressing two dozen local officials and others with agricultural interests, Gillibrand expressed confidence that the Senate and House will agree on a bill including food stamps, which make up 80 percent of farm bill costs, before the current bill expires Sept. 30.

"If they're not included, it will be vetoed by the president," Gillibrand said.

The food stamp program can continue as it is without further legislation. A Senate bipartisan farm bill would cut $4 billion from food-stamp spending over 10 years. The House proposed $20 billion in cuts over 10 years before the Republican leadership removed food stamps from the bill this week. That sets the stage for a debate on how much to ultimately cut.

"It's a mandatory spending program," Gibson, R-Kinderhook, said of food stamps. "We took a step forward. We can now go to conference, and the House and Senate can work together "» . We'll work this out."

Splitting the bill was opposed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's biggest farm lobby. Connecting subsidies for farmers with food stamps has traditionally been seen as a way to win the votes of representatives of urban areas with nutrition concerns.

Locally, farmers want recognition from government that their efforts deserve more attention in terms of access to disaster aid and marketing assistance.

"As an apple grower, I'd like to see specialty crops acknowledged," said Michael Boylan of Wright's Farm, "so if there's a disaster and assistance is needed, they'd be included."

Charles Noble, a beef producer and board member of the Rondout Valley Grower's Association, said "agriculture in the valley is a different animal" from what's found out West.

"They're all family farms, not corporations," Noble said. "They all have a deep love and appreciation for what they're doing "» But it's also a business, and many are struggling. To be sustainable, we must be profitable."